Telephone-call.



MTENTED 111111. 30,1906.

P. T. GBYBRMAN. TELEPHONE GALL.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR` 14, 1905.

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v PETER THOMAS GEYERMAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF BREWSTER, lVHNNESOTA.

TE LEPHONE-CALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3o, 190e.

Application {iled March 14,1905. Serial No. 250,032.

To LM L11/wm it nea/y concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER THOMAS GEYER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brewster, in the county of Nobles and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone- Oalls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to telephone systems which are particularly suitable for rural districts, large manufactories, apartment-stores, 6to., with a limited number of stations; and its object is primarily to provide means whereby a call may be made from any one station to any other station of the system without the aid of a central exchange, and among the secondary objects are preventing others from listening to the conversation between the caller and the called subscriber, automatically restoring the whole system to its normal waitingv condition when the caller hangs up his receiver, and means whereby any subscriber may restore his local apparatus to its normal order if by any chance his indicator should become deranged.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a telephone-call, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the interior of a telephone-calll box according to my invention with portions broken away to show parts beyond. Fig. 2 is a left-hand end view of the same box with portions broken away, including a telephone-box, on a smaller scale.

The wiring and grounds and batteries are diagrammatically represented in both views.

The letters A B O, &c., on the dial 3, which is located on the end 4 of the box 5, represent subscribers, of which the box here shown is adapted to serve twenty-three. 6 represents another dial marked in the same manner, but showing only the letters V and and W to represent subscribers.A

7 represents the main shaft, having a crank 8 and a stop-wheel 9 rigidly fixed upon it.

This wheel has a single notch in it to be normally engaged by a pawl 10, which is pivoted at 1 1 to one end of the box 5.

12 is a ratchet-wheel mounted to revolve freely upon the shaft 7 and having a drum 13 with a hub 17 of the wheel 9, -so that the spring is wound up by turning the shaft 7 by means of the crank 8, and the return of the shaft is prevented by the pawl 10.

18 is a pointer provided with a knob 19 and a hollow shaft 20, which shaft revolves in a bearing 21 in one side of the box 5, so that the pointer 18 may be set at any one of the letters on the dial 3.

22 is an arm having a circumferentiallygrooved hub 25 fixed to the hollow shaft 20. The arm is provided with a crank-pin 23, which ma enter one of the holes 27 in plate 24 when t e hand 18 points at one of the subscriber-letters on dial 3, and if the knob 19 is pushed to slide the hollow shaft 20 inward upon the main shaft 7 it brings pin 23 into the path of the stop-pin 26, which projects from one face of the ratchet-wheel 12. The plate 24 is fixed to the box 5 and retains the pin 23 as set. The shaft 28, mounted to rock in the box 5, and the arms 29 and 30, fixed thereto, comprise the shifter, the arm 29 engaging the groove in hub 25 and the arm 30 being connected by a wire 31 with the annunciator-arm 32 of the telephone 33, on which arm 32 the receiver 34 of the telephone is hung when not in use. The weight of the receiver thus holds the pin 23 normally out of engagement, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

35 is a circuit-breaker pivoted at 36, and it is normally pushed by a spring 37 to engage the teeth of ratchet-wheel 12. This circuit-breaker carries an electrical contactplate 38, which is held normally in contact with the electrical conducting-spring 39, while the circuit-breaker rests between two teeth of the ratchet 12.

40 represents a shaft journaled in the ends of the box 5 and carrying a ratchet-wheel 41,

an insulation-wheel. 42, a stop-wheel 43, a

pointer 44, and a stud 45.

46 is a lever carrying a pawl 47 to engage the ratchet 41 andan armature 48 to be actuated by the magnetic coils 49.

5() is a magnetic coil and 51 a circuit-closer pivoted at 52 to oscillate between the magnetic coil 50 and a contact-screw 53.

The insulation-wheel 42 carries a contactplate 56, which electrically connects two springs 54 and 55 when stopped in contact therewith, and each subscriber-s plate 56 is so located on his insulation-wheel 42 as to bring it in contact with the springs when the hands 18 and 44 point at that subscribers letter on the dials.

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57 is a retaining-lever having a hook 57 which normally rests in a notch 58 in the drum 13 to keep the drum from revolving either way.

59 is a push pin projecting outward through the boX 5, in which position it is normally held by a spring 60.

61 is a bar hung upon a lever 62 by means of a pin 63', that projects from one side of the bar. The lever 62 is pivoted on a fixture at 62 and is drawn by means of a spring 63 to rest on the stud 45.

- 64 and 65 are electrical contact-springs to be operated by the lever 57 and connected with the posts 77 78 by wires 100 and 101.

66 is an electrical contact-spring engaging a screw 67.

68 is a push-pin passing through a side of the boX 5, and it is pivotally connected with a lever 68', which is pivoted to a fixture at 71 and carries a stud 69, which may be swung into the path of a stud 70 on wheel 43.

72 is a latch pivoted at 73 to the boX 5 to swing through the end thereof, so as to engage and stop the crank 8 at one side or the stud 74 in the drum 13 at the other side.

75, 76, 7 7, and 78 represent binding-posts on the call-box 5.

79 is a line-wire connected with bindingposts 75 and 7 6, and these two posts are connected by a loop forming a closed circuit, as follows: from post 75 over wire 80, contactplate 38, spring 39, wire 81, screw 67, spring 66, wire 82, magnetic coil 50, and wire 83 to post 76. The wire 79 may extend in either direction, taking in the other stations of the system, each with a loop through its call-box, as described and finally, terminate in grounds 84 85, including as many batteries 86 as required, thus comprising the selectingcircuit.

The calling and talking circuit is over the line-wire 87, the incoming wire 88, through the telephone 33, over wire 89 to bindingpost 77, over wire 90, spring 54, contact-plate 56, spring 55, wire 91, binding-post 78, and wire 92 to ground 93, one of which grounds may be at each station to form a grounded circuit, or a line-wire may take the place of the grounds 93 and by extending in parallel with wire 87 form a complete 4metallic circuit.

95 is a local battery connected with the relay-magnet 49 by a wire 97 and with the contact-screw 53 by a wire 96.

The operation is as follows: Let us suppose subscriber E is to be called. First turn the crank 8 forward one revolution in the direction indicated' by the arrows 94 to wind up the spring 14. Now by means of the knob 19 turn the hand 18 to point at E on the dial 3. Then take. the receiver 34 off from its hanger to release the shifter 28 29 30 31v and push in the stop-pin 23 by means of the knob 19. Now press the push-pin 59 in as far as it will go, carrying with it the bar 61 and the lever 57. This action does not close the springs 65 and 64 but it will raise the hook end 57 out of the notch 58 enough to permit the incline 99 to start under it, thus releasing the drum 13 and ratchet-wheel 12, which are then revolved by the spring 14. The ratchetteeth in passing press down the circuitbreaker 35 and open the circuit at 38 39 step by step, demagnetizing the coil 50 and permitting the circuit-closer 51 to engage the screw 53, thus closing the relay-circuit and advancing the ratchet-wheel 41 one tooth at each step, so that when the ratchet-wheel 12 is stopped by its pin 26 against the pin 23, located at E, the hand 44 will point at E on dial 6 and Es contact-plate 56 has been brought to stop in Contact with the springs 54 and 55, so that Es phone is in talking-circuit with the caller. The callers circuit was completed when the drum 13 in starting to revolve pushed by its incline 99 the hook 57 out upon the surface of the drum and by the action of the other end of lever 57 closed the springs 65 and 64. Now any usual method may be employed by the caller to call E over their phones, and conversation may then be carried on between the caller and the called subscriber, and listening by other subscribers is doubly guarded against, first, by the arrangement of the push-pin 59, which enables any caller to perform part of the service of closing his talking-circuit, but requires the aid of the revolving drum to complete it secondly, at the first advance step of the ratchet 12 every ratchet 41 in the whole system is advanced one step, and the studs 45 are carried out from under the levers 62, permitting them to raise the bars 61, so that no subscriber but the first caller can ever close his own talking and listening circuit by pushing the pin 59. if by any means a subscribers shaft 40 and the attachments thereto should get out of proper registry, he may return it by pushing pin 68 when he or any other subscriber has released the ratchet-wheel 12 to return the system to place. This interposes the stud 69 in the path of the stop-pin 70 and stops the latter in its normal position, and any further impulses of the relay-magnet would effect nothing. The relative circumferential locations ofthe pin and the contact-plate 56 are such in every subscribers call-box that the pin 7 O thereof will be stopped by the pin 69 when the contact-plate 56 is at its normal resting-point and the hand 44 points at 0. When a caller is done with the phone, he should pull out the knob 19 or hang up his receiver on the arm 32, which actuates the shifter-arm 29 and its connections to do the same as pulling out the knob 19 does. This takes pin 23 out of the path of pin 26, leaving the ratchet 12 free to be revolved forward by the spring 14 until the pin 74 strikes the latch 72 and stops it, and the hook 57 is pushed into the notch 58 by spring 98 to TOO retain it ready for service again, and as the ratchet 12 passes its complete circumference over the circuit-'breaker 35 the whole system is actuated to restore the selecting devices to their normal positions. The ratchet-wheels 12 and 41 have the same number of teeth, which number corresponds with the number of letters on each of the dials 3 and 6 andwith the number of holes in the plate 24, but as one position on'the wheels, plate, and dials is devoted to the normal resting place of the coacting parts, a wheel of twenty-four teeth would accommodate only twenty-three subscribers. The latch 72 is shown in full lines in its normal position, leaving the crank 8 free to be revolved; but the crank in passing the latch crowds its farther corner 102 back out of its path and brings the corner 103 into its path, whereby the crank is limited to one revolution. This sets the pin 74 free, and when the drum carries it past the latch 7 2 the pin crowding against the corner (shown by dotted line 104) restores the latch to its normal position.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isthe following:

1. In telephone-calls,acall-box; aratchetwheel mounted on a shaft journaled in the box, and a stop-pin projecting from the wheel a plate located parallel with one face of the wheel and having a circle of holes through it corresponding in number to the number of teeth on the wheel; a knob having a pointer and fixed to a hollow shaft which is mounted to rotate and to slide longitudinally on the aforesaid shaft; a crank-arm having a grooved hub and fixed to the hollow shaft and carrying a pin which is fitted to pass through any one of the said holes in the plate into the path of the pin on the wheel; a normally closed selecting-circuit connecting a number of these call-boxes; a selecting device in each circuit; means for revolving the said wheel and means whereby the wheel breaks the said circuit at the passage of each tooth in revolving.

2. In telephone-calls, a call-box a ratchetwheel therein carrying a stop-pin; means for revolving the wheel and means actuated by the wheel to operate selecting mechanism; a plate located adjacent to one 'face of thesaid wheel and having a series of holes through it; a knob and pointer, and a dial for the pointer outside of the box, and a stopping-pin connected with the knob and fitted to engage any one of the holes in the said plate.

3. In telephone-calls, a call-box; a ratchet- Wheel therein carrying astop-pin; a stop ingpin mounted on an arm having a grooved) hub and connected with an operating-knob, and a shifter comprising a rock-shaft, an arm therefrom engaging the said grooved hub; another arm thereof and a wire ada ted to engage the receiver-support of a telepA one.

4. In telephone-calls, a call-box; a ratchetwheel and drum and means for revolving the same in the box; the drum having init a stopnotch the rear wall of whichis inc ined wedgelike to the circle of revolution; a lever having a hook on one arm to engage the said notch; apair of contact-springs adjacent to the other arm of the lever, and an open-call circuit connected with the springs, the opening of the circuit beingbetween the springs; a pushpin passing through the side of the box, and a bar hung between the push-pin and lever.

5. In telephone-calls, a call-box; a ratchetwheel and drum in the box g the drum having a stop-notch in it, the rear Wall of which is inclined to the circle of revolution; a lever having at one end a hook to engage the said notch; the normally open springs of acallingcircuit one of which springs is located in the path of the other end of the said lever; means for pushing the lever enough to bring the hook up to the incline but not enough to close the springs, and means for revolving the drum whereby the lever is actuated to close the said springs.

6.l In telephone-calls, a shaft journaled in a box and carrying a ratchet-wheel and a wheel with a single notch in it; a sprin around the shaft and connected at one end therewith and at the other end with the ratchet-wheel; a pawl for the single-notched wheel a crank fixed to the shaft; a latch substantially as described pivoted in the box to engage the crank and a pin in a xture ofthe ratchet-wheel to engage the latch.

7. In telephone-calls, a normally closed selecting-circuit including a contact-spring; a rotary shaft; step-by-step selecting mechanism operating the said shaft a wheel upon the shaft carrying a stop-pin; a lever carrying a stopping-pin and pivoted to a fixture; and a push-pin connected with the said lever and adapted to engage the said spring to break its contact substantially as described.

PETER THOMAS GEYERMAN.

Witnesses:

LEON MORRIS, C. R. WEST.

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